1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates in general to a device for conveying and/or distributing fluids with a control handle and, in particular, to a hydraulic valve with a lockable and unlockable control handle.
2. Description of the Related Art
There are known valves with a valve body with one or more tubular connection portions connectable with pipes of a system for conveying and/or distributing fluids, a control handle, an obturator received in the valve body and connected with the control handle by means of a transmission shaft, and with locking means for locking the handle in certain operating positions of the valve.
The locking means of the prior art include, for example, locking levers and padlocks whose actuation is tedious and costly in terms of time. The locking levers of the prior art are subject to easy breakage of the portions that engage to achieve the lock. Furthermore, the locking systems in the valves of the prior art are not intuitive and tend to block the movement of the handle precisely during its manual operation. This is due to the fact that the user, during the rotation of the handle, applies not only a twisting moment, but also an axial force directed towards the valve body.